The Coming Prosperity

With Good Reason

In spite of the current state of the economy, the next 25 years will see an unprecedented rise in human well being. That’s the argument Philip Auerswald (George Mason University) makes in his new book The Coming Prosperity. He argues that four centuries of technological change are spreading prosperity to new populations in the world and that this transformation will create large-scale opportunities in both rich and poor nations.

Also featured: We spend billions each year on foreign aid. Sometimes it works, but often it is ineffective and may even cause resentment on the part of countries we are trying to help. Michael Gubser (James Madison University) talks about the importance of history in international development. He says solutions that work in one country often get airlifted to another country that has a very different social and cultural history.